“ When an impure spirit comes out of a person , it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it . Then it says , ‘ I will return to the house I left .’ When it arrives , it finds the house unoccupied , swept clean and put in order ” ( 12:43-44 ).
All I could do was pray a shield around me . I had to fill my heart with God ’ s love , truth and Word daily in order to push away the hurt caused by the bitter spirit wishing to invade our home . God showed me that I had to learn to forgive my husband for his misdirected attitude so I could pray for him with all my heart .
Our Lord knew about the importance of forgiveness firsthand . He exhibited the ultimate forgiveness on the cross . In His
last breaths He cried out for the Father to forgive those who crucified Him ( Luke 23:24 ). And though all but one of his disciples abandoned Him , when He rose from the dead , they were the first he sought out to forgive as they huddled in the upper room . When he taught his disciples to pray , he included the act
of forgiving as equally important as receiving food . “ Give us this day our daily bread , and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us ” ( Matthew 6:11-12 ). Later he told them , “ Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying ‘ I repent ,’ you must forgive them ” ( Luke 17:4 ). He commanded this for a reason . Our being forgiven is very dependent upon the extent we are willing to forgive others .